Michael Szukula

Biography:

Michael A. Szukala is a veteran of World War II. He was born in Chicago, Illinois on November 1, 1925. He enlisted and served from February 1943 to March 1946 in the Coast Guard. Szukala’s highest rank was Fireman 1st Class. He served on the USS LST-770, for which he volunteered for because he was not originally assigned to this post. He fought in the Asia Pacific Theatre and was involved with the Occupation of Japan and in the Philippines liberation campaign. He sustained service-related injuries. Szukala was awarded a ribbon and two stars for his service in the Asia Pacific Theatre and one star for his efforts in the Philippines. One of his highlights of his service was caring for an orphan in the Philippines for a couple of months.